To mark the run in I am going to reveal my top 10 Mania matches, and why I enjoyed them, see if you agree.
10 - Gimmick Battle Royal (WrestleMania 17).
I know this match had issues, it almost got dropped off the card on the night due to time issues, meaning it was very rushed, the guys were all old and out of condition, the match had only one winner because Iron Sheik couldn't take the over the top bump, and the match was pretty much designed to laugh at the past of WWE, and how daft the characters were back in the day but I was bordering on marking out from the very start. Getting to hear Bobby Heenan on Comms at Mania again alongside Mean Gene, was awesome, and seeing the guys and characters that I grew up with at the big show one more time was the cream on top of probably the best top to bottom WrestleMania card ever IMO.
Update on Taker in the UK:
The Undertaker will only appear at the SmackDown Taping on April 23 NOT Raw the night before, so if you want to see the dead man make sure you attend the second days taping at the O2, as well as or instead of the first.
Colt Cabana may also be having his last UK match soon, he has put his UK career on the line during his next visit.
WWE officially announce Bob Backlund's inductor:
They released a press statement yesterday confirming TV host Maria Menounos will have the honours, they are apparently good friends.
Menounos...
"It is an honor to induct my good friend Bob Backlund into the WWE Hall of Fame," said Maria Menounos. "Watching him carry the title for a since unmatched five years and then stage such an incredible comeback with a reinvented persona puts him in a class all his own. Add in his incredible work ethic and high moral caliber, and you have everything that defines the word champion. And astonishingly, he can still wrestle with guys a third his age! He's my hero and my friend. I can't wait for the ceremony on April 6."
Backlund...
"I am truly humbled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame," said Bob Backlund. "Maria has been a friend for years and I can't think of someone I would rather have induct me at Madison Square Garden."
Bruno Sammartino defends change of heart re HOF:
"I was in the business for almost a quarter of a century, and I'm very proud of my career", Sammartino said. "I loved wrestling and so forth, but when I retired I saw changes that were very bothersome to me. For one thing, there were a lot of steroids and other drugs being used. That bothered me tremendously. Secondly, they had these good looking girls as wrestlers, but there was some nudity and some very vulgar stuff involved. The profanity they were using was also terrible, I hated to see the profession I held for 25 years come down to that. As a result, because of how much it bothered me, I was very outspoken about it and tried to bring attention to the fact hoping that something maybe could be done. So, the main reason why I wouldn't go into the WWE Hall of Fame was that I'd feel very much like a hypocrite if I did, because I resented all of these things. It just didn't feel right then to accept entrance into the Hall of Fame. "When Paul (Triple H) contacted me about 7 months ago, I had long since quit watching wrestling. So he called me up and said that both him and WWE would really love to have me in the Hall of Fame. Paul was very kind, he said, 'Our Hall of Fame needs to have you, to become legitimised, because you held the World Title almost 12 years and you were the WWF'. He said he'd heard a lot of the interviews I'd done over the years, but wanted me to know that WWE had made a lot of changes. They hired a doctor, Dr. Maroon and his staff, to do very strict drug testing and now had a complete Wellness program in place – checking out the overall fitness of the guys and making sure they weren't suffering from concussions etc. So, I knew of Dr. Maroon, he's a very famous neurosurgeon, and had in fact operated on me before. I did a lot of damage to my back throughout my career, and he helped me tremendously. He's a very ethical man with a wonderful reputation. I spoke to him about things several times, and he told me how strict things had become; he informed me how much WWE were doing to correct prior problems. As I started watching it all again, I noticed that the wrestlers looked normal – they looked like athletes again! They no longer looked freakish and over-developed, like Hulk Hogan, Billy Graham, The Road Warriors or The Ultimate Warrior. Then Paul continued to talk with me, telling me that WWE had done away with all the nudity, vulgarity and profanity, because they wanted to be more of a family entertainment program. Without giving him a decision on the Hall of Fame quite yet, I decided to watch for a few more months to see if what he said rang true. They were legitimate changes WWE had made, which was good. After I was convinced of the drug testing and all of the other changes, I finally told Paul, 'Ok, you guys are going the right direction and I'm willing to come in'. That's how my pending induction into the WWE Hall of Fame happened".
WWE star returns:
After a 60 day drugs ban followed by a Birthday accident that mangled his foot, the 14 month lay off for Evan Bourne finally ended yesterday, he returned with a win at NXT vs Sammy Sane (El Generico)...
MVP thanks Vince:
"Whether I return to WWE or not, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to live this life. Thanks Vince for giving an ex con a shot."
TNA Impact SPOILERS!!!:
For the episode to air on April 4...
* Gutcheck challenge - Adam Pearce vs Magno
* Tara & Gail Kim vs Velvet Sky & Taryn Terrell
* Aces & 8's Promo with AJ Styles... Will he join???
* Hulk Hogan Promo with AJ Styles... Will he stay on team TNA???
* Petey Williams vs Sonjay Dutt vs Mason Andrews
* Aces & 8's vs Team TNA (8 Man Tag)
* Bully Ray Promo ends the show.
John Morrison lands horror flick role:
JoMo will appear in a movie entitled The Factory...
A group wanting to buy an old disused Factory go to the site to view the building, but get trapped inside and must fight for their lives against the demons of the buildings past.
The movie will film in new York in a fortnight.
Paul Heyman talks WrestleMania:
"How could it be bad for me? I have two of the three main events properly represented on the biggest Wrestlemania of all time in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. How could things be going anything but splendidly for me? I'm ecstatic with my current role in WWE. I get to work every Monday with my two best friends: Brock Lesnar and CM Punk. I have 'The Beast' [Lesnar] and 'The Best' [Punk]."
Jack Swagger:
Jack Swagger will appear in court on April 9 to answer the charges resulting from his DUI and possession arrest.
Scott Hall update:
The Bad Guy Razor Ramon, thanks fans for their donations for his surgery, reveals his status re drink and more on his latest video diary...
TNA take weekend off:
They have no house shows this weekend.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan talks WrestleMania / HOF:
On Mania...
"My first Wrestlemania was Wrestlemania III. That was the one with 93,000 folks. I didn't have a match, but I ran down with the 2x4 and hit Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik. I had 93,000 people chanting USA, and that was the thrill of a lifetime."
On Hall Of Fame...
"It's a great honor. You always want to be remembered. Being recognized by the WWE is the pinnacle of our profession. It's something that everybody aspires to. A lot of guys say that they don't care, but they're the ones not getting the call. It was a beautiful night. My family was there, and some of my good friends. It was just a really special night."
Reid Flair:
Double WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair's 24 year old Son Reid has sadly died today, details are scarce at the moment so I will update the situation as the details become clearer.
Ric (Through his agent) released this statement...
"We are heartbroken to confirm that Ric's son, Reid, has passed away today March 29, 2013 in Charlotte, NC. The investigation into the cause of death is ongoing. Reid was an incredible son, brother, friend, and professional wrestler. No words can describe the grief that Ric and his family are experiencing and they do request privacy during this devastating time."
R.I.P Dead Wrestlers.
Trish Stratus on WWE women's division:
"I think what is missing is I think everyone has the right tools. I think we're seeing; listen, when you look at, and it's funny, I fell in Kaitlyn because I loved her quirky attitude and she reminds me of me and I like that a lot, and there's that afraid to not be silly and I just think that the fans don't know that side of her, or know as much as we do on the inside, right? So, what I think is missing overall, and it's something I've said for years, is the development of the characters.''
WWE feature six ''Bad ass'' road stories:
Dr Death Steve Williams and Rick Steiner vs The Burning Car...
Why would you pick a fight with Haku???...
Danny Hodge's Auto Wreck...
Eye can see you Vader...
Andre, The Cop, and the broken windshield...
The time when Bill Watts removed a man's eye and put it in his drink...
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